If You Can’t Beat ’em…Call ’em a Cheat?

Here is a picture of Fabian Cancellara dominating the stage 7 time trial on Monday’s finale of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Nipped from roadcycling.com

The World Time Trail Champion so dominated the field this week that those who have a weak will, or haven’t come into form yet were left with no recourse but to accuse him of cheating. Not via the standard cycling avenues, but by the use of some magical bearings (The link explains the silliness of this claim).

The same thing happened last year when Cancellara spanked all of his competitors at both Paris – Roubaix and The Tour of Flanders. Then he was accused of using a motor hidden inside the frame. This equally ridiculous claim caused UCI officials to scan bikes at Le Tour.

Is this the price to pay for being a dominant, but clean rider? It’s a pretty well documented phenomena that when one dominates so completely that those of weaker mental constitution will grab on to the most convenient excuse for their own failures. Everyone is susceptible to this trap. I’ve fallen into it myself. After my first race I speculated to friends that there may have been some sandbagging going on. I eventually came to my senses and called myself on my own BS. Apparently those who have access to the cycling press don’t have similar filters.

Canellara wins because he trains his ass off and clearly has what’s needed mentally to suffer, and suffer well in tests against the clock and those in the peloton. It’s the mental aspect that allows him to do the things that he does, not the use of hidden motors or magical gold bearings.

For those, like me, who either missed or were concerned with other things at the time here are some videos of Cancellara putting the hurt on the field at both Flanders and Roubaix.